Relicts of Ancient Religions

The Mythological Cycle is a collective term for those stories in ancient myths
that describe the activities of the 'Otherworld' characters who are reputed to
have landed in Ireland in pre-historic times.

Since the late 18th century the curious megalithic stone circle and the Ggantija
temple on the Xaghra plateau of Gozo have
been recorded by European travellers. In the 1820s, the Lieutenant Governor of Gozo, Otto Bayer
conducted an
"excavation" at the circle which was recorded by the local artist Charles de Brochtorff in 1825.

Owing to the cult's secrecy, we possess almost no literary evidence about the beliefs of Mithraism. The few texts that do refer to the
cult come not from Mithraic devotees themselves, but rather from outsiders such as early Church fathers, who mentioned
Mithraism in order to attack it, and Platonic philosophers, who attempted to find support in Mithraic symbolism for their own
philosphical ideas.

Known throughout Europe and Asia by the names Mithra, Mitra,
Meitros, Mihr, Mehr, and Meher, the veneration of this god began some 4000
years ago in Persia, where it was soon imbedded with Babylonian doctrines.
The faith spread east through India to China, and reached west throughout the
entire length of the Roman frontier; from Scotland to the Sahara Desert, and
from Spain to the Black Sea. Sites of Mithraic worship have been found in
Britain, Italy, Romania, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Persia,
Armenia, Syria, Israel, and North Africa.

Diana, alias Diana the Huntress, was a goddess in Greek and Roman mythology. Theoretically, she
was the daughter of Zeus, and the sister of Apollo. This was the cult of Diana-Artemis of
Anatolian fertility cult fame.

The shaking tent was one of the most important rituals in the yearly cycle of harvesting and ritual
activities of the Innu people of Quebec and Labrador. It was not only an important method of
direct communication with the caribou and other animal masters, as well as with Mishtapeu and
cannibal spirits, it was also a source of amusement. The shaman used the tent to look into the
hidden world of animal spirits, and to make contact with Innu in distant groups. On occasion, he
brought the souls (atshaku) of people living in other groups into this tent, or waged terrible battles
there with other shamans and cannibal spirits such as Atshen.